Legal Citation

Read this guide in conjunction with the Australian Guide to Legal Citation.

Reference materials include items such as dictionaries, encyclopaedias, directories and digests. They are not generally cited because they are used as tools for starting or clarifying research.

If you are required to cite one of the legal encyclopaedias, you will need to follow the format specified in AGLC Rule 6.3:

Publisher, + Title of Encyclopaedia, +vol # + (at full date) + title number + title name, + ‘chapter number + chapter name’ + [paragraph number].   

Note:

Where the encyclopaedia cited was accessed online, the date of last update should be included if it is available, as in both these examples.

The paragraph entry will make a comment that the information is current to a specific date. 

Where such a date is not given, the date of retrieval should be included. 

Where the encyclopaedia has been accessed online, the volume number should be omitted (ALGC rule 7.7). 

This note is not exhaustive.  Please see AGLC rule 7.7 for the requirements for citing legal encyclopaedias.